Chinese tourists vacationing at home up 12 percent: state media

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Tourists visit the Forbidden City in central Beijing, China, on China's 68th National Day October 1, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Lee

BEIJING (Reuters) - A total of 67 million Chinese tourists traveled around the country on Friday as the nation’s Golden Week holiday drew to a close, state media reported, citing data from the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).

The number of holidaymakers at home on the sixth day of the national day holiday - one of the world’s biggest mass movements of people - rose 12.3 percent from a year ago, Xinhua said.

Tourism revenue generated on Friday totaled 54.6 billion yuan, up 15.1 percent from the same period a year ago, it said.

A cooling economy means holidaymakers in the world’s second-largest economy, who spent $261 billion overseas last year, have stayed closer to home this year, providing a boon for domestic tourism operators.

People will start to return home this weekend, adding pressure to the country’s air, road and railway transport systems.

On Oct. 1, the first day of the holiday, 15.03 million trips were made by train, an all-time high, Xinhua said. This year’s national day holiday was extended by one day due to the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Oct. 4.